To Wish Upon Jirachi
by DeedeeWilliams
Summary: The wish for a child to be loved is granted. I don't like summaries! This will have Palletshipping later if it has any shipping! Abusive!Dursleys not too graphic! Ash will be like Harry's honorary big brother!
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing

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A loud bang resonated around the house on Privet Drive. Number Four was a house many knew to be owned by one Vernon Dursley and his family. It was by far the most normal household on the street, with Petunia the well-mannered housewife and Vernon the well-to-do businessman. Not to mention their son, Dudley, who was an angle sent from heaven above. At least that's what they would have you believe.

In reality, Petunia Dursley was a rather horse-faced individual, opting to shove her disproportionate nose into her neighbors business and gossip with the other nosey busy-bodies in her book club.

Vernon could be likened to a walrus. While he was the boss of the Grunnings branch he worked for, it was through black-mail only. No talent contributed to any of it. He had a nasty temper and a habit of drinking making him difficult to be around. He was running the drill business strait into the dirt.

And last was Dudley. More pig than boy, Dudley found amusement as the neighborhood bully. Although he was only six, he was a force to be reckoned with for the other children. He was more of like a demon to them.

And unknown to any other on Privet Drive, there was another member of the family. A little boy of six, though you would have thought he was three, also lived in this house. He was malnourished and small, with hacked raven locks that fell haphazardly into large sunken, emerald eyes. His eyes were always slightly unfocused, leading you to believe he might need glasses. The most curious thing about him though was the jagged scar that graced his brow.

His name was Harry Potter. The Dursleys believed that the boy was un-natural and often called him things like freak or monster. He was kept in the cupboard under the stairs and ordered to do the housework so that Petunia no longer had to. He was severely punished for the smallest things and never rewarded, even when Petunia could find nothing wrong with his work.

Harry was currently trembling with silent sobs at the back of his cupboard, having just been punished for burning the family's dinner. Uncle Vernon had just slammed the door after roughly shoving him inside. Harry continued to cry for only god knew how long before his Uncle's thunderous steps came from the hall. The door to the cupboard was ripped open so hard one of its hinges fell from the hall with a loud crack.

Harry yelp as Vernon dragged him out by his ankle before grabbing his upper-arm tight enough to bruise. Vernon then hauled him out to his car, one thing Harry had never been in before and tossed him into the back-seat. It was dark out so there was no one to witness as the car sped out of Privet Drive.

The drive was about an hour long. Vernon cursed and mumbled indiscernibly, glancing at the boy in his rear-view mirror every once in a while to sneer. Harry for his part was terrified of what was happening. He usually knew what to expect from the Dursleys… but right now he couldn't even imagine what would happen to him.

The stopped on the side of the abandoned road they had turned onto. It was pitch black here. Not even the light of the moon showed where they were. He heard Vernon search through the glove box before another source of light shined throughout the car. A flashlight was held tightly in Vernon's hand.

He then got out of the car and dragged Harry from the back by his hair. Harry was crying again from terror and confusion as his Uncle continued to drag him further away from the car.

Vernon stopped suddenly and spun Harry around so he was eye to eye with him. He gripped Harry's arm so tightly that the fragile bone snapped. Harry let loose a pained scream but was quickly silenced by a swift slap across his cheek. Tears streamed unchecked from his emerald eyes as he stared at his uncle.

Vernon sneered before shoving his nephew to the ground and turning back the way they had come. When Harry attempted to follow, Vernon turned sharply and slapped him again.

"Don't. Follow. Me." Vernon growled dangerously. Harry trembled and stayed put. After that, his uncle left and Harry knew now what had happened. They had abandoned him…

For a long time, Harry only sat there. He had stopped crying an hour after his uncle left and his eyes were unfocused. He cradled his broken arm, which had gone numb, close to him and brought his knees up a little.

Harry gazed up at the sky with sad eyes. Why did no one want him? Was it too much to ask for even a small chance to be loved? As he thought, a shooting star raced across the sky, catching his attention. His eyes widened a fraction before he squeezed them shut, preparing to make a wish.

*I wish that I could have someone who will love me.*

Harry snapped his eyes open when he heard a soft echo-like giggle. Looking up, he spotted a strange little creature flouting there. It kind of reminded him of a star. It was brightly colored with a white body and face. The face was surrounded with yellow that spiked out to vaguely show the shape of a star. It appeared like a piece of blue cloth hung from each piece but as Harry looked closer he could tell that they were a part this creature. Two larger cloth-like pieces fell from the back of its neck on each side.

It stared at Harry with small eyes and a smile. It gave off a soft glow, lighting the small area they were in. It giggled once more and started circling Harry's head.

"Wh-who awe yuu?" Harry flinched at the sound of his own voice. It had been so quiet before this creature had come.

It smiled widely and leaned a little closer. "My name is Jirachi!" The creature, now known as Jirachi, replied. "I'm here to grant your wish!" Jirachi suddenly touched Harry's forehead and began to glow brighter. "Good-bye, little one!"

It was with that soft giggle that Harry slipped into darkness.

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When Harry next opened his eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. He was in a small field surrounded by trees with no road in sight. He wasn't where his Uncle had left him. He scrambled to sit up, forgetting for a moment that his arm was broken until he put pressure on it. He yelped loudly and curled into a ball, hoping it would elevate the pain a little.

He heard a stick snap behind him making him freeze but the noise did not stop there. It sounded like some sort of fight was taking place. As it got louder Harry realized that whatever it was, they were headed this way fast. Before Harry could even get to his feet a large purple mass flew from the tree line. Another followed suit. Two huge monsters flouted opposite each other, Harry right in the middle.

The first one attacked the other but Harry caught some of the damage, not being able to get away fast enough. He now sported a long gash across his back. He screamed in terror.


	2. Chapter 2

It was blisteringly hot that day. Ash and his friends had been traveling for a long time and the next town would be another day's walk. It was only a few months into his travels around the Sinnoh region. It was when Dawn nearly collapsed from exhaustion that they stopped to rest.

"I think we are near a river. It shouldn't be that far off the path and it looks like we could use a swim." Brock pointed out. Ash and Dawn agreed wholeheartedly, nodding their heads vigorously. It wasn't long before they came to it.

It was a bit narrow but deep enough to relax and as Brock began preparing food the other two went to change into their swim suits. Ash stepped through a small clump of bushes on the other side away from Dawn and Brock, Pikachu still perched on his shoulder.

Ash removed his shirt and was about to go further when he noticed Pikachu's ears twitch and his little head slant to the side, listening. He was staring in the direction opposite the small valley they had stopped in, deeper into the forest that skirted the area.

"What is it, buddy?" Pikachu only continued to stare, ears twitching and head tilting this way and that. Ash shifted his gaze to the trees, trying to spot whatever his Pokémon was listening to but saw nothing. Nonetheless, Ash continued to wait and watch, hoping that whatever it was would leave.

Suddenly, Pikachu jumped as if startled before darting into the trees with a soft cry. 'Pika!'

Ash was also startled, although this time by Pikachu, and ran to catch him. As he got deeper into the forest he began to here noises coming from up ahead and while he tried to keep Pikachu in his sights, the noises became louder and more discernible. It sounded like some sort of struggle.

Finally, Pikachu stopped when they came upon a clearing in the trees. In the middle of the clearing, a fight was taking place between two Haunter but it was not the fight that made Ash gasp –wild Pokémon battled each other all the time after all –but the small child that was trapped in the middle of it.

From his distance, Ash couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl but it appeared to be badly hurt. The poor thing was clutching its arm to its abdomen while the child's knees were drawn up as close to the chest as the injury would allow. It was turned slightly away with its head buried into the knees. The small back appeared to have a shallow gash running from the shoulder blade to the lower middle.

Ash wasted no more time as the fighting got more intense, a shadow ball barely missing the tiny kid. He sent Pikachu into action with a thunderbolt hoping to stun or paralyze the Haunters long enough to get the child out of there. It appeared to work and Ash sprinted over and grabbed the child, trying to be gentle with the injury.

The Haunters recovered fast though. Now they were madder than ever and focused their attention on the intruders. As the Haunters prepared to attack Ash sent out his Infernape and sent them both flying with a couple of well placed moves. 'Infernape!'

Ash called him back. "You did great, thanks for the help!" He looked down at the child and was immediately caught in a terrified green gaze. The child stared unblinkingly up at him, wide eyes sparkling with shed and unshed tears. Close up, Ash could tell that the child was a little boy. He also noticed how skinny he was, way too skinny to be healthy. His cheeks were sunken in slightly and Ash could count his ribs as he held him.

Ash slowly lowered the boy to the ground but didn't let go so he wouldn't run away from him. Ash crouched down to eye level and smiled in a way he hoped was friendly. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I only want to help."

The boy still wouldn't relax, but his eyes became slightly less fearful and filled with a grudging sort of curiosity. His good hand began to fidget with the hem of his too big shirt, the other still kept against his stomach, while his head tilted downward. He continued to stare at Ash through his lashes though. He never met Ash's eyes dead on.

"Can you tell me your name?" Ash asked softly. The child flinched and tried to retreat but Ash held his shoulders somewhat firmly. "I'll tell you my name if you want? But then you have to tell me yours, yeah? That's a fair trade, right?"

The little boy tilted his little raven head, thinking it over before nodding slowly and hesitantly. "All right my name is Ashton Ketchum! But most people just call me Ash!" The boy raised curious eyes, thinking it was such an odd name. Ketchum sounded almost like Ketchup! He giggled quietly before catching himself and hoping the other hadn't heard. It was rude to laugh at people's names!

Ash had heard but decided not to say anything. It didn't really bother him that much because this was a little kid. Little kids always found his name funny. "Now Ya gotta tell me your name."

"… I-I… I dun li-like… it…" The boy stuttered out, avoiding eye contact and once again attempting to get free of Ash's grip.

"What do you mean? It can't be that bad, right?" Ash tried to catch his eye but couldn't seem to get him to look at him.

"I's bad… Untle Vewnon tol me…" Ash had to concentrate a little because his speech was broken and missing a few sounds. But when he figured it out he paled a little. "Your Uncle?"

"Mhmm… He call me fweak an' boy cus I hav' bad name!" Ash was stunned silent, staring at the little boy with sadness and anger. How could someone do this to a child! Ash was seething on the inside though he kept it from his eyes as best he could.

"Well, I think your uncle was wrong. I'm sure you have a great name!" Ash smiled reassuringly, hoping the boy would tell him now. "What am I supposed to call you if I don't know your name?"

The child could see the logic. He didn't want Ash to start calling him Freak either. But what if his name was bad? He knew his name only because of his Aunt. She never called him Freak. But she didn't like him almost as much as uncle did.

Ash could tell he was still hesitant so he jumped in. "Hey if you tell me your name and it does end up being bad, I'll give you a new one. I'll give a really cool nice name that everyone will want to hear, all right? But only if your name is bad like your uncle claims… And if it is a nice name like I think it will be then you and I are gonna tell everyone we find how awesome it is!"

He heard a giggle from his little friend at his antics. The boy nodded and opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. He opened and closed his mouth several times before anything came out. "…H-" He cleared his throat nervously. "Hawwy….."

Ash stared for a second before a huge, beaming smile split his face. "Harry, huh? That's a great name! How could anyone think that name was bad!" Ash exclaimed, startling Harry a little. Harry's eyes grew wide at the big smile he saw on Ash's face and his own jewels glittered slightly.

"Weely? Untle was wong?"

"Yep! You have an awesome name! You should be proud to have that name and don't let anyone tell you that you don't. Besides, Harry sounds better than _my_ name…"

"Nu-uh! I like yer name!" Harry exclaimed before covering his mouth with his good hand. He winced a little as the motion pulled at the gash on his back, reminding Ash and him of the situation.

"Oh! Here turn around and let me see your back." Ash ordered softly, focused on the injury now. Harry fidgeted slightly but complied, turning slowly so he wouldn't hurt his arm further.

Ash studied the cut and inhaled sharply through his teeth. It was covered in dirt and needed to be cleaned out before he could do anything and it was long. It had stopped bleeding sense it wasn't very deep but Ash could tell it was starting to get infected. He sighed before turning Harry to face him again. "Come on, I need to get you to my camp so I can get your back treated."

Ash grabbed Harry up under his arms and rested him on his hip so that he wouldn't strain his injuries while walking. Ash had never really held a child like this before but Harry wasn't complaining so he shrugged before turning to head back to camp. Pikachu quickly made his way up Ash's shoulder and looked at Harry curiously. "Hey Pikachu, this is Harry. He's gonna be traveling with us for a little while."

'Chu!' Pikachu exclaimed happily. He bent forward and nuzzled into Harry's cheek making him giggle.

Ash retraced his steps as best he could considering his poor sense of direction but ultimately had to rely on Pikachu to get back. It wasn't too long before they came back to the area where Ash had been changing, making him remember he was shirtless. Ash set Harry down as gently as he could and put his shirt back on. He wasn't going to be swimming that day.

Ash stepped out into the clearing where his friends were. Dawn had wasted no time in getting dressed in her swim suit so she had been swimming for a little while. She had let out her Pokémon to stretch their legs and cool down.

Brock was still cooking and appeared to be almost done with some stew he had the ingredients to make. He was the first to look over at the sound of the bushes shaking and gapped as he looked at Ash. Dawn wasn't too far behind.

"A-ash… wha-?" Dawn stuttered, unable to voice anything over her shock. Brock had yet to say anything concerning the situation. He only continued to stare.

Ash chuckled nervously, shifting the little boy in his arms a little. Harry was looking everywhere in curiosity, tugging occasionally at Ash's collar to try to get his attention. He looked back and forth between Ash and the strangers unsurely. They seemed friendly; at least he thought they did because the girl knew Ash. Harry didn't think Ash would be friends with bad people.

Ash finally gathered his thoughts after another tug to his collar. He unconsciously shifted Harry's weight before lifting his now free hand to grab the much smaller one on his collar, trying to urge it to stop tugging for a minute. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Hey guys..." *Smooth Ash…* He thought. *Real nice…*

Brock spoke this time. "Who is that?"

Ash beamed. "This is Harry? Pikachu and I found him in the middle of a wild Pokémon battle. He's pretty beat up so I figured I should bring him here so you can heal him." Ash walked up to Brock as he introduced Harry, readjusting his light weight again. Harry reached up and grabbed Ash's collar again, this time because he was nervous.

Brock examined the little boy for a second, taking in the malnourished figure as well as the injuries he obtained from the fight. "The gash on his back is becoming infected. I'll need to clean it out and wrap it up pretty quickly. As for his arm I'll need to check if it's broken before I do anything else." Brock quickly motioned Dawn over. She had gotten over her shock at the explanation and was listening on as they talked.

Dawn moved forward a bit and asked. "What's up, Brock?"

"Do you mind taking Harry for a few minutes? I need to talk to Ash about something." Brock replied looking at Ash pointedly. Dawn smiled and nodded. She took a step closer and raised her arms.

Harry looked very hesitant to go to her. He didn't want to leave Ash for fear that he would abandon him like Uncle and Aunt had. He didn't trust Ash enough to believe he would keep him. He would try to stay there as long as he could though.

Ash noticed the hold on his collar tighten a fraction as Harry buried his face halfway into his shoulder, one eye glancing fearfully from Brock to Dawn. Ash brought his hand back up and squeezed the one on his collar reassuringly. "Hey these are my friends. They won't hurt you…" Harry only buried his face completely.

Ash sighed. "Brock, why don't we wait till later to have that conversation? Let's just get him patched up first…"

Brock agreed, realizing that Harry was in no mode to leave Ash's side. Dawn stepped back with only I small bit of disappointment… she loved small children and hated how one was frightened of her but she understood somewhat. Ash had saved this kid and now he was attached to him.

Harry only sighed in relief as he was carried over to the tent by Ash so they could heal him. Harry wondered how long he could stay before they realized he was exactly what his Uncle called him…


End file.
